VeeKay extends IndyCar contract with Ed Carpenter Racing
Rinus 'VeeKay' van Kalmthout will remain an Ed Carpenter Racing driver in the 2022 NTT IndyCar Series, the 21-year-old Dutchman having signed with the Indiana-based team for a third consecutive season. As an ECR driver, VeeKay won the Rookie of The Year title in 2020 while claiming his first IndyCar victory in 2021.
For three highly successful seasons, VeeKay raced in the NTT IndyCar Series’ feeder programme known as Road To Indy, winning the Indy Pro 2000 championship in 2018 and becoming vice-champion in 2017 and 2019 in the USF2000 and Indy Lights series respectively, before the talented Dutchman made his debut in the top-line series mid-2020. In his first season at the highest level of open-wheel racing in the United States, VeeKay made his mark by winning the rookie title while demonstrating a spectacular style. The Dutchman also secured a place in the history books by qualifying fourth in the Indianapolis 500, the best qualifying performance ever by a teenager.
After this outstanding performance, team owner and race driver Ed Carpenter, a three-time polesitter at the Indianapolis 500, rewarded VeeKay with a contract for the 2021 IndyCar season. The Fort Lauderdale, Florida, based driver continued the upward trend when on Saturday, May 15, VeeKay scored his first-ever IndyCar victory in the GMR Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
VeeKay drew a lot of attention by putting his #21 Chevrolet on the front row of the grid during qualifying for the Indianapolis 500, setting yet another record, as VeeKay became the youngest front row starter ever at the Indy 500. Mid-June, the ECR driver went on to record his second podium finish of the season, finishing second in the first Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix at the Belle Isle Street Circuit.
“I'm happy to announce that I will be driving for Ed Carpenter Racing next year as well,” VeeKay said at Long Beach where the final race of the 2021 NTT INDYCAR Series will be held today (Sunday). “We made a lot of progress during the first half of the season, with me winning my first race on a road course, climbling the podium on a street circuit and starting from the front row of the grid for the Indy 500. We were able to prove ourselves in every discipline. The second half of the season was less successful because of unfortunate strategic choices and, at times, plain bad luck. My goal is to maximise the team’s motivation and work together over the coming winter to address our areas of concern so that we can perform consistently throughout the 2022 season.”
“Our goals are clear – we want to fight with the championship contenders next year, be on the podium more often and win races. Even though we are not the biggest team, there is a lot of potential in our overall package. The team atmosphere at ECR helps to motivate us all – it feels like a group of friends that will go through fire and water for each other with the aim of scoring the best possible results.”
“I would like to thank Ed Carpenter for the opportunity to drive a third year for his team,” said a grateful VeeKay. “Ed has been the person who gave me the opportunity to drive an IndyCar car for the first time, and as such he plays a big role in my career. I'm grateful to Tony George, Stuart Reed and the entire Ed Carpenter Racing team – everyone who has played their part. Even though I'm the one driving the #21 SONAX Chevrolet, there are dozens of others who contribute to the results on the track.”
“Also, the support from the Netherlands has been fantastic. My Dutch partners Jumbo and Basic-Fit are always there for me and have played a big part in my American success. I would like to thank them for their unwavering support,” VeeKay concluded.
The 2022 NTT INDYCAR Series season will kick off on the final weekend in February, with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg scheduled for Sunday, February 27.